Hat



Sept. 11, 1934. J. N. WOLF HAT Filed March 3, 1954 INVENTOR Jaws/14%; F.

Patented Sept. 11, 1934 PATENT OFFICE HAT Julius N; Wolf, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Schoble Hats Incorporated, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania dpplication March a, 1934, Serial No. 713.809

4 Claims.

.The'present invention relates to wearing apparel and more particularly to an improvement in hats and caps whether of felt, straw or any other material. r

,For, some considerable period of time there has been a demand for a ,well fitting hat which is not subject to the common fault of riding up on the head of the wearer; one which relieves the head of pressure from the hat body; one which insures ventilation; one which does not depend upon minute fractional size differences for perfect fit; and one which'insures fit to irregular shaped heads and retains the original style and lines of the hat regardless of a differentiation in the oval of the head. This demand has heretofore-remained unsatisfied. 7

Some of the objects, therefore, of the present invention are to provide an improved hat which overcomes the inherent defects of those now on the market; to provide a novel sweat band wherein, in association with a hatbody, a relatively large number of head sizes can be fitted withthe same size of hat; to provide a hat wherein a sweat band and associated parts act to space the head of the, wearer from the hat body proper, and give the effect of a cushionagainst the head; to provide a hat wherein a sweat band and an attachment part'are so associated as to preclude perspiration from reaching the body of the hat while forming-at the same time an effective means for ventilating the interior of the hat when on the head of the wearer; to provide an area of maximum elasticity'along the joint between the sweat band and the hat body or parts securing the band to the hat body, and an area of minimum elasticity along the free edge of the sweat band whereby the said free edge is held spaced from the hat body; and to provide other improvements as will hereinafter'appear.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 represents a perspective of the bottom face of a hat embodying one form of the present invention and showing the sweat band turned out of the hat for illustrative purposes; Fig. 2 represents an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the sweat band and associated parts; and Fig. 3 represents a section on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing one form of the present invention is shown as applied to a felt hat 10 of the fedora style having a body 11 provided with the usual integral rim 12. A sweat band 13 encircles the entrance portion of the head receiving opening of the hat and as here shown is formed in two sections 14 and 15 with 55." the opposed ends 16 and 17 cut on the bias, the

arrangement being such that the free edges at the ends of the respective sections are spaced relatively close together while the edges, which are supported from the hat, are spaced relatively far apart. This is important as will presently appear.

For joining each pair of opposed band orjsection ends a member 18 is used which is formed of fabric webbing havingrows 20 of rubber or other elastic threads woven therein. Each of these members l3 bridges the space between a pair of the opposed ends 16 and 17 and the positioning of the members 18 is such that the thread rows 20 parallel the edge'or edges of the band l3. This defines the stretch of the webbing along circumferential lines so that the-perimeter of the sweat band will enlarge when pressed upon a head larger than the normal retracted perimeter of the band. These webbing members 18 are permanently fixed'in position by stitching 21 paralleling the biased ends of the band sections 14 and 15, and thus these sections plus the joining members 18 form a complete unitary sweat band, It should be noted in the assembly of these members 18 that each is made fast by thestitohin when under a slight tension so that not only do the members 18 form a continuation of the band sections across the otherwise open spaces but also 'maintain the perimeter of the free edge of the band less than the opposite edge of the band. Thus the sweat band tapers from its attached edge to the free edge to form an air space circumferentially between the major portion of the sweat band and the body 11 of the hat. It is this constructionwhich gives the desirable cushion efiect when on the head of the wearer. It should also be noted since the opposed ends of the sections 14. and 15 diverge from the free edge of the sweat band that a relatively long area of webbing joinsthe sections at the attached edge while a relatively short area of webbing joins the sections at the free edge, and therefore stretching takes place more easily at the place where it should and less easily where it should not. In this way the head can be easily pressed into the sweat band base while its free edge stretches less to maintain the cushioning action. In order to attach the sweat band to the hat proper it is, in the present instance, joined along its attaching edge to a strip 22 by a line of stitching 23. This strip 22 is also of webbing having threads 24 of rubber woven to follow circumferentially about the hat opening so as to stretch in conformity with the head 'of the wearer. The strip 22 is joined to the hat at the fold line or lines of intersection of the hat rim 12 with the hat body 11 by a line of stitching 25. The lines of stitching 23 and 25 are appreciably spaced apart so that there is an area. of webbing between the sweat band and the hat body which serves to prevent perspiration from working across from the sweat band to the hat body. Ordinarily perspiration follows the line ofstitching from the sweat band to the hat body proper but in the present construction there are two lines of stitching When in use the head of the wearer, ifwithin the size determined by the particular hat, causes.

the two bridge members of elastic material to stretch adjacent the line of attachment to the hat and since at this location the webbing is the longest, this opening up or expanding takes place easily. In fact the flexing is such as to readily open. up to admit the head but the resulting pres sure is entirely negligible in so far as any feeling. of restriction about the head is concerned. The restriction however is quite sufficient to prevent the very undesirable riding up of the hat. upon the head of the wearer, and also to prevent the hat from being blown off of the'head.

It will now be apparent that a complete unitary hat structure has been devisedwherein any hat equipped therewith automatically conforms to the head of the wearer and thereby it unnecessary to construct hats. with ovals differ-- ently proportioned. In other words the maximum and minimum axes of a hat oval can now be standardized so that the same hat will retain its correct shape and style Whether worn by one having a long head, or a relatively wide head, or a round head. The mention of the elastic bridge piece or pieces with the elastic circumferentially disposed strip allows the sweat band to stretch as desired so that the band contracts. all the way around the head instead. of at spaced locations as:

happens in the majority of ordinary sweat bands.

While only a single form is shown in which this invention may be embodied, it is to be'understeod that the invention is not limited to any specific construction, but might be applied to various,

forms without departing from as spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. In a hat, the combination of ahat body having a head opening, a strip of material including. an elastic medium arranged to stretch longitudinally of said strip, means for securing one edge of said strip to said hat body so that said strip follows theperimeter of said opening, a sweat band of a length less than said perimeter and having ends terminating in opposed spaced relation, each of said ends being cut on the bias and diverging from the free edge of said band, means for attaching one edge of said band to said strip in spaced relation to the other attaching means of said strip, a piece of fabric including an elastic medium bridging the space between the opposed ends of said band, said fabric elastic medium being arranged to stretch lengthwise of saidband, and means to attach opposite sides of said fabric respectively to said band ends.

2. In a hat, the combination of a hat body having, a head opening, a strip of material including an elastic medium arranged to stretch longitudinally of said strip, means for securing one edge of said strip to said hat body so that said strip followsthe perimeter of said opening, a sweat' band formed of two; sections having a combined length less than said perimeter, the opposed ends of said sections terminating in opposed spaced relation, each pair of said ends being cut on the bias and diverging from the free edge of said band, means for attaching one edge of said band to. said strip: in. spaced-relation. to the other attaching elastic mediumbeing arranged to stretch lengthwise of said band, and means to attach the opposite side of: each fabric respectivelyto the band section ends; I

3-. In a hat, the combination of a hat body having a head opening, a sweat band having ends cut on thebias and spaced apart when fitted into said hat opening, said bias cutting forminga minimum space between the band ends at the free edge of said band and a maximum space between the band ends at the opposite edge of said band, an elastic fabric bridging the space betweensaid biased ends, means for re spectively fastening opposite sides of said fabric to said ends so that said fabric is taut between said ends, and means including a strip of elastic webbing for attaching the edge of said band having the maxim-inn spaceto' said hat body.

oppositesides of said fabric respectively to said band ends.

JULIUS N. WOLF. 

